​China, Uzbekistan vow to strengthen cooperation

Premier Li Keqiang(R) meets Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on May 13. The Uzbek president is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on May 14 and 15. [Photo: gov.cn]

Senior Chinese leaders vowed on Saturday to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan and push forward bilateral relations.

China is willing to consolidate political mutual trust with Uzbekistan, enhance exchanges and broaden cooperation to benefit the people of both countries, Premier Li Keqiang said while meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is here to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Uzbekistan is welcome to import more cost-effective and environment-friendly equipment from China to assist its industrialization drive, while China will expand imports of competitive Uzbek products, Li said.

He urged the two countries' small and medium-sized enterprises to enhance cooperation for mutual benefits and win-win cooperation.

Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan can learn from China's development experiences, broaden bilateral cooperation in areas including transport infrastructure, energy and mineral resources, water conservancy, equipment, industrial capacity and industrial parks, in order to lift bilateral ties to a new level.

In a separate meeting, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, called on the Chinese and Uzbek legislatures to enhance exchanges to carry forward the Belt and Road Initiative and provide legal and institutional guarantees for closer people-to-people exchanges and a better environment for investment.

Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan will continue to enhance inter-connectivity with China to ensure healthy development of relations.

While addressing a banquet for Chinese and Uzbekistan entrepreneurs, Meng Jianzhu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the two countries should further align each other's development strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative.